The present invention relates generally to the field of aircraft passenger seat assemblies, and more particularly, to a passenger seat assembly having a frame that attaches to the sidewall of the aircraft, as well as associated composite floor panels that replace the existing floor panels, attach to the aircraft floor structure, and integrate new/additional seat tracks at locations different from the original aircraft seat tracks. The invention also includes a method of securing passenger seats to the deck of an aircraft passenger cabin.
Conventional passenger seat assemblies typically include seat frames that are releasably secured to the deck of an aircraft by means of anchor fittings that lock into tracks that extend longitudinally along the length of the passenger cabin. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,029,215 and 7,261,378 are illustrative of such devices.
The U.S. Pat. No. 7,029,215 discloses and claims a track fastener assembly for securing a seat or cargo apparatus to a floor track of a vehicle. The assembly includes a bottom rail with forward and aft ends. Front and rear movable slides carrying locking studs are carried by the bottom rail. A locking rod having a helical groove formed in its outer surface is operatively connected to the bottom rail and the slides. Rotation of the locking rod causes the slides to move axially from an installation position to a locking position. As the slides move to the locking position, they are deflected upwards along with the attached locking studs, clamping the track fastener assembly to the track.
The U.S. Pat. No. 7,261,378 discloses and claims a locking apparatus for a moveable component of an aircraft seat. The locking apparatus includes a housing for being slidably received in a track, a first pair of opposed cams pivotally mounted in the housing, and a release member. The cams are moved between a lock position where the cams prevent the housing from sliding within the track and a release position. The release member is selectively moveable between a first position where the cams are maintained in the lock position and a second position where the cams are maintained in the release position.
Structures such as described in the above-referenced patents and many others utilize the deck of the aircraft exclusively. However, evolutionary developments in aircraft seat design, spacing and accessories often utilize areas under the seat bottom for mounting electronic and seat support components. In addition, increased rigidity to the entire seating structure can be enhanced by providing attachment points in areas other than the aircraft deck. These structural design limitations restrict the geometry of the seat frame and fail to make use of available surrounding attachment points, resulting in added weight, complexity, cost and decreased rigidity. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a seat frame having a lightweight design and overall geometry that advantageously exploits the available cabin space and surrounding attachment points, as well as an associated floor panel structure including seat tracks located to accommodate the seat frame, resulting in an overall lightweight, simple, rigid and cost saving design.